What is a Heart Attack?

The heart works 24 hours a day, pumping oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to the body. Blood is supplied to the heart through its coronary arteries. If a blood clot suddenly blocks a coronary artery, it cuts off most or all blood supply to the heart, and a heart attack results. Cells in the heart muscle that do not receive enough oxygen-rich blood begin to die. The more time that passes without treatment to restore blood flow, the greater the damage to the heart.

Having a heart attack is a big wakeup call for most people. There's usually no problem convincing a heart attack survivor to change his or her lifestyle-to quit smoking, control their high blood pressure and cholesterol, control their weight and get regular physical activity.
Each year, more than one million people in the U.S. have a heart attack and about half - 515,000 - of them die. Half of those who die do so within one hour of the start of symptoms and before reaching the hospital.
A heart attack is an emergency. Call emergency services if you think you or someone else may be having a heart attack. Prompt treatment of a heart attack can help prevent or limit damage to the heart and prevent sudden death.

It is important to call emergency services fast - within 5 minutes - because emergency personnel can give a variety of treatments and medicines at the scene. They carry drugs and equipment that can help your medical condition, including

• oxygen
• aspirin to prevent further blood clotting
• heart medications, such as nitroglycerin
• pain relief treatments
• defibrillators that can restart the heart if it stops beating.

If blood flow in the blocked artery can be restored quickly, permanent heart damage may be prevented. Yet, many people do not seek medical care for 2 hours or more after symptoms start. The symptoms of a heart attack can include chest discomfort, discomfort in other areas of the upper body, shortness of breath, and other symptoms.
The most common symptom of heart attack is chest pain or discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back. The discomfort can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain. It can be mild or severe. Heart attack pain can sometimes feel like indigestion or heartburn.
Discomfort can also occur in other areas of the upper body, including pain or numbness in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach. Shortness of breath often happens along with, or before chest discomfort. Other symptoms may include breaking out in a cold sweat, having nausea and vomiting, or feeling light-headed or dizzy or fainting.
Signs and symptoms vary from person to person. In fact, if you have a second heart attack, your symptoms may not be the same as the first heart attack. Some people have no symptoms. This is called a "silent" heart attack.
Angina is chest pain or discomfort that occurs when your heart muscle does not get enough blood. Angina symptoms can be very similar to heart attack symptoms. If you have angina and notice a sudden change or worsening of your symptoms, talk with your doctor right away.
If you think you may be having a heart attack, or if your angina pain does not go away as usual when you take your angina medication as directed, call emergency services for help. You can begin to receive life saving treatment in the ambulance on the way to the emergency room.

Malaria mortality rates down, but progress threatened by funding shortfall, WHO report says

"Malaria mortality rates have fallen by more than 25 percent globally since 2000, and by 33 percent in the WHO African Region, according to the World Malaria Report 2011, issued [Tuesday] by [the] WHO," the organization reports in a press release. "This is the result of a significant scaling-up of malaria prevention and control measures in the last decade," the press release adds. However, the press release notes, "WHO warns that a projected shortfall in funding threatens the fragile gains and that the double challenge of emerging drug and insecticide resistance needs to be proactively addressed" (12/13). 
"At a press conference to launch the [report], Awa Marie Coll-Seck, executive director of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, said the numbers showed that 'bold leadership and partnership' were saving millions of lives," but "she warned that 'unless we maintain our commitment to scale up the proven, cost-effective tools we have to prevent, diagnose and treat malaria, today's gains will be reversed and we will lose many more lives to this disease,'" a U.N. news briefing states (12/13). "The toll taken by the current economic crisis must not result in our gains being reversed, or progress slowed. With Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's charge for near zero deaths by end of 2015, turning back now is not an option," Raymond Chambers, the U.N. Secretary-General's special envoy for malaria, said, according to the WHO press release (12/13).

Caramel apple party snack mix

Apples and caramel have long been a traditional combination in recipes during the Fall especially around October and Halloween. You rarely see a Halloween party that doesn’t have caramel apples or apples and caramel dip. This tradition has been taken a step up and today you’ll find many recipes combining apples and caramel. I found a Chex apple pie snack mix recipe and changed it a bit to give it the caramel apple flavor.  I am posting below. This will be a great addition to the Halloween party menu. Your daycare children will love it!

Caramel apple party snack mix

• 3 cups cinnamon Chex cereal
• 3 cups of Rice Chex cereal
• 1 cup of broken pretzels ( the thin sticks)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teasppon of ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
• 2 cups dried or freeze-dried apples, coarsely chopped if necessary
• Caramel flavored Magic Shell (ice cream topping)

Instructions:

1. In large microwavable bowl, mix cereals and pretzels.
2. In 2-cup microwavable measuring cup, microwave brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg uncovered for about 1 1/2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute, until smooth and bubbly. Pour over cereal mixture, stir until evenly coated.
3. Microwave uncovered on High 4 minutes, stirring after each minute. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool. Sprinkle apples evenly over cereal mixture.
4. Drizzle caramel Magic Shell topping over the mixture. Let the caramel topping harden.
5. Mix lightly and store in an airtight container.

What to do with unused dried up baby wipes

If you’re like me, a container of baby wipes doesn’t last near as long as you need them. Then there are those times when we are hurried and might forget to close the lid just to find out later that they have lost all of their moisture. Rest assured all is not lost. Instead of throwing those dried up baby wipes in the trash make good use out of them. After all who can afford to throw them out?

1. Mix up a light solution of baby bath soap and water, pour into the container of dried wipes and let soak. Use them any time you need a wet cloth just as you would have before they became dried up.
2. Keep them in the bathroom dry and when you need a wet wash cloth, add a little hand soap and water and viola!

• Use them to wipe down counters and toilet seat.
• Use them for wiping off eye makeup.
• Use them for wiping noses.
• Use them on your Swiffer mop to dust your floors or with mop solution(which works great btw).
• Use them to dust your furniture.

When they’re gone use the empty baby wipe containers for crayons, art supplies small toys or make crafts with them. You could even use them for a planter.

Young Children Collaborate Better Than Chimps

Three-year-old kids preferred to solve problems together, unlike primates

By Robert Preidt

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Related MedlinePlus Page

• Child Development

THURSDAY, Oct. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Human children are more likely than chimpanzees to collaborate when solving a problem, a new study finds.
Researchers compared the responses of 3-year-old children in Germany with semi-free-ranging chimpanzees in a Democratic Republic of Congo sanctuary.
Both the children and the chimps were given a task they could do on their own or with a partner. Individuals could pull two ends of a rope themselves in order to get a food reward or pull one end while a partner pulled the other end.
The children cooperated 78 percent of the time, compared with 58 percent for the chimps.
The findings suggest that minor motivational variations may be the basis of behavioral differences between humans and other species, according to study author Daniel Haun, of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany.
The study appears online Oct. 13 in the journal Current Biology.
"A preference to do things together instead of alone differentiates humans from one of our closely related primate cousins," Haun said in a journal news release. "Once we know the underlying motivations of this tendency, we will have learned something new about human nature that differentiates it from chimpanzee nature."
He and his colleagues noted that human societies are built on collaboration and children learn the value of collaboration at an early age.
Future research should compare collaboration among a number of primate species in an effort to learn more about the evolutionary history of the trait, the study authors said.

SOURCE: Current Biology, news release, Oct. 10, 2011

HealthDay

Copyright (c) 2011 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Adolescent & Teen Prescription Drug Abuse

Battling Prescription Drug Addiction: Teen Prescription Drug Rehab

In the 1960s, teens were well-known for using a variety of street drugs, such as cocaine, marijuana, LSD and ecstasy, but today, teenagers are more known to use prescription drugs instead. For that, this generation has been labeled “generation Rx”. The reason many teenagers are using prescription drugs over the usual street drugs is because they’re more under the radar and easier to obtain. In some cases, they’re also affordable. Many prescription drugs are even available online. If you have a teen in your home that you suspect is stealing your prescription drugs or getting them from outside the home, you should consider getting teen prescription drug addiction treatment. Now, is your chance to learn about:

• Types of prescription drugs being used by teens
• Side effects of teen prescription drug addiction
• Risk factors for teen prescription drug usage

Types of Prescription Drugs Used by Teenagers

It is a fact that one out of every five teenagers abuse prescription pain medications. About one out of five of those abusing prescription drugs are reported and one out of ten teens that abuse prescription drugs use cough medicine for their addiction. Parents are known to keep prescription drugs lying around in the kitchen, medicine cabinet and bedroom without thinking that their teenager could be at risk of abusing them. Some of the prescription drugs that teens are known to abuse include:

• Painkillers, such as Oxycontin, Percocet, Codeine, Vicodin and Tylenol.
• Depressants/downers that are used for panic attacks, anxiety, tension, severe stress reactions and sleeping problems; such as Klonopin, Soma, Xanax, Valium, Nembutal and Ambien.
• Stimulants/uppers, which are used for ADHD, asthma, obesity, respiratory issues and sleeping problems, like Ritalin, Dexedrine and Concerta.
• Steroids for physical appearance.

Side Effects of Teen Prescription Drug Abuse

The side effects that your teen could witness all depends on the prescription drug they are using. Each one comes with their own set of side effects, and they tend to be greater when the drug is being abused. In some cases, it can cause lethal side effects. Here is a quick list:

• Painkillers: addiction, vomiting, nausea, lack of energy, lack of concentration and apathy
• Depressants/downers: loss of coordination, poor concentration, coma, death, feeling confused, dizziness, slurred speech, respiratory depression and lowered blood pressure
• Stimulants/uppers: anxiety, cardiovascular collapse, convulsions, aggression, suicidal/homicidal tendencies, hostility, vomiting, tremors, excessive sweating and increased heart and respiratory rates
• Steroids: kidney cancer, hair loss, severe acne, liver cysts, liver cancer and jaundice

Risk Factors Associated with Teen Prescription Drug Addiction

There are teens who are at special risk to developing prescription drug abuse habits. Read the below to see if your child fits in any of the categories:

• Family history of alcohol or drug abuse
• Depression
• Feels tired and sluggish often
• Low self-esteem
• Feel unpopular or disliked
• Aggressive and rebellious

It is important that you seek teen prescription drug addiction treatment as soon as you notice any warning signs. Abusing pain medication carries with it a number of risks, and you wouldn’t want any of that to befall your teenager.

Adolescent & Teen Drug Addiction

Teen Drug Addiction Treatment: Preventing Teen Drug Use

Many parents are in denial that their teenager will ever try drugs and if they do, they feel they won’t stick to it. Truth be told, many parents are shocked to find out that their teen is addicted to drugs. If only the parents were less naïve and more watchful of signs and behavioral patterns, they could have prevented the inevitable. Many teens die from drug overdose annually, so it is up to parents to learn all they can to prevent teen drug use. With the help of teen drug addiction treatment, we can help our teens bounce back from an addiction and have normal lives once again. Plus, teen drug addiction treatment lowers the chance of relapse than trying to cure your teen yourself. In this article, you will read about:

• Popular teen drugs
• How teens get access to these drugs
• Dangerous effects of teen drug addiction

Types of Drugs Teens Abuse

Teenagers are always looking to blend in with certain crowds at school, so they’re eager to do whatever it takes to become popular and/or well-liked by their peers. Even if it means harming themselves, without actually knowing how dangerous their actions are. Teen drug addiction is growing by the day and they’re getting smarter at using them. There are various types of drugs that teens use to get a buzz or high, especially since they are unable to get their hands on alcohol easily. The drugs that teens are able to get to easily include:

• Inhalants
• Prescription drugs
• Marijuana
• Ecstasy
• Cocaine
• Heroin
• Cold medications
• Depressants
• Stimulants
• Tobacco

Some are, of course, easier to get their hands on than others.

How Teens Get Their Hands on Drugs

A lot of parents don’t think their teens are using drugs because it is “impossible” to get a hold of or isn’t available in their residential area. Teens today are able to get access to drugs in schools, amongst their friends, parties and teen dealers. Teens have their ways of hiding the drug as well, such as stashing ecstasy pills in warmed and unwrapped tootsie rolls and rewrapped, or placing pills inside of children’s vitamin bottles. Prescription drugs are especially easy to get a hold of and are sometimes preferred over the usual recreational drugs, like heroin, cocaine and marijuana. Rx drugs can be purchased online using a debit or credit card, and no prescription or I.D. is required. That is how accessible drugs are to children these days.

Side Effects of Adolescent Drug Addiction

Depending on the type of drug that your adolescent child is using will determine the type of side effects they will have. Each have their own set, so it is important that you look them all up, so that you can know what to expect. Overall teen drug addiction can cause:

• Decreased ability to pay attention
• The longer the drug is used, the harder it is to quit successfully
• Emotional problems like depression, anxiety, hallucinations, suicide and mood swings
• Promiscuity
• Chances of turning to more harmful / stronger drugs
• Respiratory and cardiovascular damage
• Kidney, liver and brain damage
• Insomnia and a variety of others.

Teen Problems with Alcoholism

Many teens turn to alcohol just to fit in with their peers. They are under intense pressure giving in just to be accepted by their peers at parties and other social gatherings. These initial teen encounters with alcohol can turn into full blown problems with alcoholism. It is important for teens to know how to deal with alcoholism. Let’s discuss these topics:

• Alcohol and Acceptance for Teens
• Dealing with Alcohol

Alcohol, Teens and Being Accepted

Many teens start drinking due to peer pressure from fellow teens. On the other hand, alcoholism may also be a problem that runs in the family. For most, this is a passing phase, but for other teenagers, an alcohol addiction is a major problem. Teens need to be aware of these pressures and where they come from so they can win over alcoholism.

Peer Approval and Alcohol

The biggest cause of teen alcoholism is peer pressure. The influence of friends causes other teens to become alcoholics. This should be avoided and should be replaced with positive peer pressure.

Genetics and Alcoholism

While peers are in large part the reason for teens to develop unhealthy relationships with alcohol, often times alcoholism is a problem that runs in the family. Teens need to be aware that if their parents or someone in their family is an alcoholic, it is not always the best idea to drink or take up drinking. Alcoholism cannot only destroy relationships with family and friends, but it can also deteriorate one’s health quickly.

Teens Facing An Issue with Alcohol

Many teens face problems with alcohol, whether it is through their peers or by genetics. Dealing with alcoholism does not have to be a struggle if you know where to turn to for help and assistance. Part of dealing with alcoholism comes through education.

Teen Drinking Support Groups

There are a number of resources made available to teens that already have a drinking problem. Alcoholism can be treated by attending support group meetings. Many of these programs for teens offer up group and individual therapy sessions for those struggling to fight peer pressure and a problem with alcohol.

Education on Alcoholism

More often than not, you might not even know how your drinking affects your body. Teens can benefit a great deal by knowing the dangers alcohol can present if addictions start at a young age. Many teens do not know how damaging to one’s health binge drinking can be. By reading up online on alcoholism, teens may think twice before going for that beer at a party with all of the negatives to that sip in the back of the mind.

Drugs & Alcohol

If you are the parent of a teenage boy or girl then you understand that the lure of drugs and alcohol is all around your children. Even the parents of “good kids” who do well in school and are polite members of the family would be shocked to learn the level of exposure their children have to these substances. The information below is designed to provide parents with a starting point in their on-going mission to raise healthy, drug and alcohol-free kids.

Tips on Talking to Your Teen about Drugs and Alcohol

One of the most common misconceptions about talking to your kids about drugs and alcohol is that you have to wait until they are old enough to “handle” the seriousness of the conversation. In reality, you should be talking to your kids about these things when they are in their early teens – because by the time they reach high school they likely have already been offered a chance to use drugs and alcohol.

Tips on getting the dialogue started:

• Be honest. There’s no need to make up stories about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. This would only undercut the credibility of your talk – and anyway, the ramifications of drugs and alcohol are scary enough without embellishment.
• Tell them you care. It is important to explain to your teens that you are not trying to control their lives by having this discussion. Emphasize that you love them – and only want them to make the absolute best decisions moving forward.
• Do your homework. Take the time to read up on the most common teen drug abuse issues. This will help you hone in on the most relevant subject matter to discuss.
• Set a good example. It should be obvious, but the most effective way to create a drug-free foundation in your home is not to do them yourself. Your kids may not act like they listen to you, but everything you do sets an example and makes an impression in their young, growing minds.

Most Common Drugs Abused by Teens

So what, exactly, are you looking for? While alcohol and underage drinking remain a constant specter over families across the United States, there are currently a number of drugs more commonly abused by young people than others.

These drugs include:

• Crystal Meth
• Vicodin
• OxyContin
• Adderall
• Cocaine
• Heroin
• Ecstasy
• Marijuana

Take the time to learn more about these substances – as well as the warning signs associated with their use and abuse.

Treatment for a Teen with an Addiction

If, unfortunately, you determine that your child has a drinking problem or a drug addiction, it is imperative to get them the treatment help they need. A teen drug rehab center can help address the physical and psychological addiction to drugs or alcohol – helping the child get sober and learn to master the tools needed to stay away from teen alcoholism or teenage drug addiction. What starts with an unwanted discovery and an intervention can still end with a bright future for your child.

Children's Health

Your child's health includes physical, mental and social well-being. Most parents know the basics of keeping children healthy, like offering them healthy foods, making sure they get enough sleep and exercise and insuring their safety.
It is also important for children to get regular checkups with their health care provider. These visits are a chance to check your child's development. They are also a good time to catch or prevent problems.
Other than checkups, school-age children should be seen for

• Significant weight gain or loss
• Sleep problems or change in behavior
• Fever higher than 102
• Rashes or skin infections
• Frequent sore throats
• Breathing problems